


I Know What You Want

by im_ashamed



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Pining, set right before dark cupid
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-06
Updated: 2016-08-06
Packaged: 2018-07-29 19:26:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7696423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/im_ashamed/pseuds/im_ashamed
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“I thought you preferred internet research.” Alix said, pressing her hands flat against the hot glass of a display case and relishing the prints she left, blurring the shiny do-dads within. </p><p>Max grimaced. “The results of that were…. unsatisfactory. Popularity is a good factor, but that implies that many people have the same item, and I know that people enjoy a certain sense of individuality, although I know Chole might—not…” He broke off at Alix’s gasp, and her wide eyed stare made him lose his train of thought entirely.</p><p>“So that’s why he wanted it to be a secret.” He mumbled since Alix didn’t seem to have anything to say.</p><p>“Kim has a crush on Chloe?!”</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Know What You Want

“I thought you preferred internet research.” Alix said, pressing her hands flat against the hot glass of a display case and relishing the prints she left, blurring the shiny do-dads within. 

  
Max grimaced. “The results of that were…. unsatisfactory. Popularity is a good factor, but that implies that many people have the same item, and I know that people enjoy a certain sense of individuality, although I know Chole might—not…” He broke off at Alix’s gasp, and her wide eyed stare made him lose his train of thought entirely.

  
“So that’s why he wanted it to be a secret.” He mumbled since Alix didn’t seem to have anything to say.

  
“Kim has a crush on Chloe?!”

  
Max glanced around the store and flapped his hands frantically to shush her. “Now do you see why finding a gift for him to give his crush has been difficult?”

  
Alix laughed without joy. “Have you tried giving up? Cause I promise there isn’t a single thing you could get that would please her majesty.”

  
“There has to be something. There has to. It’s improbable that there is nothing she wants.”

  
“She wants Adrien Agreste.” Alix didn’t really understand half their school’s fascination with him. Was it the allure of a semi-famous model that let them overlook how pale and scrawny the kid was? Not like she can talk, but that’s different! Guys should have some power in their physique. The long lean build of popular eye candy like Adrien and Chat Noir just didn’t get her engine running like a thick, heavily muscled calf. 

 

“I’m afraid he’s a bit outside my budget,” Max replied. He sighed and shook his head at the display cases. “And it’s actually quite big. Kim has been saving for this.”

  
“Are you sure you couldn’t figure out anything, like if she’d prefer a necklace or a ring or something?”

  
“Chloe has too many accessories, I couldn’t distinguish a pattern that would give me any ideas.” His eyes flicked over Alix before he added, “You on the other hand are probably going to be in the market for some new laces or a hat soon, right?”

  
Alix rolled her eyes. She used to dismiss Max’s calculations of people’s behavior as wishful geek thinking, but he is right so often as to be annoying. In fact, half the reason she agreed to join him at the mall was because she wanted to find new shoelaces once they were done. Neon green, if she could.

  
“So we’re back to just picking something randomly.”

  
“I think, if it is jewelry, we could err on the side of light colors, possibly blues and golds.”

  
Alix nodded and turned back to the cases before them. She stared inside a few without really seeing. She was trying to picture Chloe at one of their houses, splayed out on the floor eating junk food. Chatting with them before school outside the front entrance. Standing in front of Kim and leaning back into him while he wrapped his arms around her.

  
Even fantasy Chloe refused. 

  
‘ _No chairs? What are we, six?’_

_  
‘If you think I have anything to say to anyone before I’ve digested at least half of my latte machiato, think again.’_

_  
‘Ew, Kim, why on earth would I want you hugging me when you’re all sweaty?’_

  
Alix walked over to Max and grabbed his belt to get his attention. He yelped and the man working the counter glared at them.

  
“Max, what makes you think Chloe is going to say yes to this, even with something shiny to distract her?”

  
“Any calculation for people’s choices has to take into account a certain amount of randomness. People constantly do things without discernible motives.”

  
“So, nothing.”

  
Max was suddenly unable to meet Alix’s eyes. “I believe that Kim, like millions before him, has created a fantasy version of Chloe to appease his romantic/sexual ideals. Without further knowledge of her character the fantasy Chloe will remain intact and cause Kim to pine for her needlessly.”

  
Alix crossed her arms. “You’re telling me that you are doing all of this, hoping that Chloe with smash his little heart anyway?”

  
“What do you think of that?” Max asked, pointing at a dark green pendant, small and elegantly cut. 

  
Alix was about to make a disparaging remark, but the only alternative to Chloe destroying Kim was becoming his girlfriend, and while she debated if that was really any better, something caught her eye.

  
It was a small pedant of a branch with a spray of pale green leaves and pink flowers bursting from the tip. Upon closer inspection she saw that instead of a necklace it was actually a pin, which was even less likely to slip around or catch on something and break. It was modestly priced, and the image of it wrapped in pink tissue paper and cradled in Kim’s outstretched hands flashed through her mind.

  
She shook her head. That would never work for Chloe. It wasn’t nearly gaudy enough for her to think it was worth anything. The pin beside it, however, was huge, golden, and heart shaped.

  
“I like that one.” She said, pointing at it.

  
“You do?”

  
“For Chloe, I mean.”

  
“It’s within budget.” Max leaned closer and realized what he thought was a seven was actually a one. “Perhaps more than she would appreciate.”

  
“She won’t know. He can tell her it’s the latest from Japan.”

  
Max snorted, and Alix grinned at the image of Chloe flaunting the faux Tokyo trend. Max headed for the counter to ask for it, and Alix found her gaze drawn back to the delicate branch.

   
“Is that all?” The man asked after removing Chloe’s brooch, hand poised on the case key.  
Alix opened her mouth and closed it. She didn’t need anything like that. Sure, it would have been a cute gift, but she wasn’t the girl they were shopping for. If she had been Max probably would have already picked up a black trucker hat with hot pink netting and been done with it.

  
In fact, after the Akuma incident was behind them and certain wounds weren’t quite so raw, she teased Kim about wanting a girl who he knew so poorly he sent a friend out looking for a gift for her.

  
“She was a girl, how was I supposed to know what she wanted?”

  
“So you would have no idea what  _I_ wanted just cause I’m a girl?”

  
“Come on, Alix, you’re different. of course I know what you want.” Kim looked her up and down. “New hair ties, right?”

  
Alix let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding and shoved the intrusive image of delicate gilt blooms away. “How did you know?”

  
Kim leaned back against the step he was sitting on with a satisfied smirk. “You’ve only been bitching about it all week.”

  
“You got me.” Alix said with a smile so weak it felt like it could slip off at the lightest breeze, but Kim smiled back like it was the same cocky grin as always.


End file.
